The cop that arrested him was an idiot IMO. I would do the same if that was my kid and I didn't have a drivers license. Aside from that - those nurses are wonderful for doing that !

This is just another news article to discredit police. When the father made the decision to rush his daughter to the emergency room, he not only did he knowingly break the law, but he also risked his daughter's life. Paramedics on the scene might have been able to dislodge the penny and provide CPR if necessary. That baby may have suffocated before she reached the hospital. The article does not state why the policeman arrested the driver instead of just issuing tickets for driving with an invalid license and breaking traffic laws. The nurses should have stayed out of it.

I read this on the news a couple days ago. Not surprised at all.

I would wonder why his license was invalid and if he was visibly intoxicated at the hospital. There is a reason, too many tickets, DWI's, why a license in invalidated vs. not having one.

Edited to add the hospital is in East St Louis which means there are EMS available.

Let's not confuse 'suspended', or 'revoked', with invalid which could be no more than expired. DH drove unknowingly for a year with an expired license. A lab tech pointed the date out to him when having blood drawn one year.

Thank you, morz8! I purchased an eight year license, calendared when it was to expire. Didn't notice, when I received it in the mail, that it expired in four years. Our accountant takes a copy of our license every year and noticed that mine had been expired for two months!

It never occurred to him to ask police for help with a choking child or getting there quickly?!

I drove unknowingly with an expired license because the renewal notice arrived when I was in Texas for my father's funeral, and when I got back, I did not look through my mail thoroughly. I only noticed my license was expired when I tried to buy a new car, and I ended up having to have it put in my brother's name, even though I paid for it. The next day I renewed my license, which had been expired for less than a month.

I think I trust the nurses more than the police. I tend to have sympathy for a frantic father, and I believe that he was making the best decisions, whether he was correct or not.

When I lived in Texas, if a policeman stopped you and you did not have proof of insurance on your person or in your car (even if you did have valid insurance), they would take you straight to jail to spend the night. It does not take much to get put in jail in Texas. You can spend the night in jail for having "dog at large"; i.e., if your dog gets off its leash. I know one person that this happened to.

I sent the article to my sister who is a nurse. I'd like to get her reaction.

Breenthumb, I just know that in asphyxiation, time is of the essence. Brain damage can happen in five minutes even if the person's breathing is restored. Police probably get trained on a dummy in Heimlich and CPR, but medical people are the ones to most trust. I've been part of a code team many times and would trust my child's breathing to an experienced nurse over an inexperienced police officer any day. Delaying to talk to police or to transfer the child to a police car could have been dangerous for the baby.

When a person is in a panic, they often don't think clearly, especially when a loved one such as a child or spouse is in danger. I'll give the father a pass for this one.

As far as the nurses go, nurses tend to be compassionate people; it's why many of them are in their chosen profession. I'll err on the side of compassion, caring and empathy any day.

The police sometimes don't get a fair shake, but there are individual officers who are hardnosed and who will not listen to the people they encounter. Instead it's either write them up or off to jail they go. Life isn't black and white and there are times when it's necessary to make a judgment call. Not saying the father should be let off the hook for his infractions, but perhaps during a near death experience of a child isn't the time or place to punish the man.

Having said that, my comments are based on what is known from this thread. I wasn't able to read the article so there may be additional details that would change my thinking.

Just as there are good and bad policemen, there are good and bad nurses. I had one of the worst when I was in the hospital last year, and I reported her to the hospital after I got out. I found her to be incredibly cruel, and she also tried to force me to sign consent papers without reading them, which I of course would never do and did not.

Very true, Lars, and a very good point. We should all take care not to stereotype people based on looks, profession, etc.

I don't have a comment about this situation, except that I wonder a bit, regarding one story told, of why the Mom went to the cop shop, rather than the hospital, to come into the place and wonder how a strange woman was bailing out her husband.

In my situation, I live in the country, about 15 mi. from the nearest ER. There are about 5 mi. of rural roads, about 6 mi. of freeway and about 4 mi. through city.

The closest fire station (usually uninhabited) (including EMS?) is about 7 miles away, police about 8 mi. away, same road. There are indigenous police and ambulance closer, but connection/activation might take precious time.

I'd stick the kid in the car, call 911 as driving out the lane, travel the rural roads, but instead of taking freeway, where EMS or police would almost certainly not have direct, immediate access, I'd follow other regular roads toward the city, (the usual one goes past that fire station and police stations about half way there) telling 911 operator of my location and planned route so that police or EMS could find me en route, and when a choice of helper was made, most likely I'd be transferred to direct communication with them.

It might be possible that EMS would meet me and deal with the child immediately, whether in my car or transferring, or police might meet me and deal with the child then, or escort me, with lights flashing, rather than stopping to transfer the child.

I'd be subject to a charge for using cell phone while travelling the highway, but doubt that it would happen.

ole joyful ... who has no grandkids, possibly sometimes near me

Joyfulguy, you've given some good thought to this. I'm within eyesight of a hospital, yet I, too, have thought in my head about where and how I might deal with a life and death emergency.... Just thought I'd let you know that the child's mother was also in the same car, rushing to the hospital. She probably stayed there until the baby was okay before going to the jail. It must have been a while because bail/bond had already been set.

Hmm, I just found another story that says the mother was at work when the choking incident happened and that police called her. She then went first to the hospital, then to the jail.